ISHAKU FACES N27BN FRAUD TRIAL AS WITNESS REVEALS FUND TRANSFERS
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The trial of a former Taraba State Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, and erstwhile Permanent Secretary in the state’s Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero, took a fresh turn on Monday, October 5, 2026 as the third prosecution witness, PW3 Taiwo Johns, revealed how funds meant for local governments were withdrawn and transferred to government officials.
The witness, who is the Third Prosecution Witness, PW3, gave the testimony before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja, during the ongoing trial over the alleged N27 (Twenty-Seven Billion) fraud. Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Johns told the court that several sums of money, allegedly Federal Government subventions, were transferred by local governments into the account of his company, P3 Cornerstone.
He said that after the funds were received, he reported the transactions to officials of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and was, on several occasions, instructed to either withdraw the money in cash or transfer it to designated accounts. According to the witness, one of the transactions occurred on October 11, 2019, when Yoro Local Government allegedly lodged N50 million into P3 Cornerstone’s account. “The transaction is from Yoro Local Government on October 11, 2019. Yoro Local Government made a lodgment of N50m into P3 Cornerstone,” he said.
Johns said he subsequently reported the transaction to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and was instructed to withdraw the money. “On the same day the amount was reported to the Perm Sec, they asked me to make a withdrawal of the amount, which I did, and the Perm Sec came to the bank. I handed it to the Perm Sec and Dare Lawal,” he told the court.
The witness also testified about another transaction involving N58m (Fifty-Eight Million), which he said was deposited into the account and reported to the Permanent Secretary and Babangida Hassan, the Director of Finance.
“On the same day the amount was reported to the Perm Sec, they asked me to make a withdrawal of the amount in which I did, and the Perm Sec came to the bank, I handed it to the perm sec and Dare Lawal,” he said. “The sum of N58,500,000 was deposited and I reported it to the Permanent Secretary and Babangida Hassan, the Director of Finance.”
He referred to Exhibit 11, telling the court that it contained a cheque of N64.95m from Gassol Local Government dated November 5, 2019. Johns added that N1.45 million was sent to P3 Cornerstone on the same date and that the money was paid into the emirate and traditional council account. He explained that the account was used for the payment of salaries, allowances and medical expenses of emirs and chiefs.
The witness also testified about transactions involving Ardo Kola and Gassol local governments. “There is a manager’s cheque of Ardo Kola Local Government on November 28, 2019, of N55m. On the same date, N62m entered P3 Cornerstone from Gassol Local Government,” he said.
According to Johns, N50 million from the Gassol transaction was withdrawn and handed over to the Permanent Secretary at a UBA branch, while another portion was transferred to one Prince. “On the same date, November 29, 2019, Prince received N5.6m. The balance was cashed and handed over to the Perm Sec and Dare Lawal in UBA.”
Continuing his testimony, the witness referred the court to Exhibit 9 and narrated another transaction involving Gassol Local Government on December 2, 2019.
“On December 2, 2019, there was a transaction of N17,378,542 and N13,120,051 from Gassol Local Government lodged.
I reported the case to my Director of Finance, Babangida Hassan. He instructed me to withdraw the money: N30,498,593. I handed it over to the Director of Finance and Dare Lawal.”
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